Complaints of prostitution in Doncaster fall by almost a half

Complaints to the police about prostitution have fallen by almost half in the last year, according to official figures.

Statistics released by South Yorkshire Police show that the number of complaints of prostitution across Doncaster borough have reduced by 45 per cent in 2015-2016, compared to 2014-2015.

In July 2014 to July 2015, there were 123 complaints to the force, but from July 2015 to July this year there were 56 fewer - with a total of 67 being recorded.

Superintendent Neil Thomas welcomed the figures, but said the problem would not just disappear and work to combat the issue was on-going.

“Prostitution still occurs, but year-on-year I have seen a decrease in the figures. We will always have reports of prostitution – it’s not an issue that’s going to just go away.

“Thorne Road has historically been an area where there has been a particular issue, and I know for residents who live there it doesn’t matter how frequently the prostitutes are there or whether there’s one or twelve.

“It’s also an issue that does occur elsewhere across the borough. It’s not just on Thorne Road.

“By saying the figures are coming down, I don’t want to seem like I am dismissing the issue. It is a long-standing problem, it is not something we are going to be able to solve overnight.

“Tackling prostitution remains one of our top priorities for Doncaster.”

He added that officers continue to carry out patrols in areas where prostitution is reported, as part of an on-going operation to deal with the problem.

Following a huge spike in the town’s sex trade in 2013, South Yorkshire Police carried out a number of crackdowns on prostitution and kerb crawling, leading to the statistics coming down year-on-year. In 2012, a total of 85 incidents of prostitution were reported in Doncaster, while in 2013 that number rose to 465. In 2015, the total number fell to 230.